Massie begins by cutting the jalapeños in half, and he's careful to evenly cut the stem for visual appeal.

"The first bite is with the eyes," Massie emphasizes.

After
scooping out the pepper's membrane and seeds, he cuts slits in the
shrimp to flatten them. He then stuffs the jalapeños with sweet
potatoes, tops each one with a crustacean and rolls the whole thing in a
strip of bacon.

After the poppers spend an hour in the oven,
he's got 16 blocks of carbs and protein. Massie mayo is optional but
adds 16 blocks of fat for a balanced Zone creation, and you can add
sriracha sauce and cilantro to take things to the next level.

"It's
so good it hurts, baby," says Massie, sampling his own creation. "If
that's a five-block meal, then I can handle the Zone Diet, no problem."